3. REDISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUALITY

“The goal of life is to have a life with a goal” – Rumi.
Here’s a thought. Rather for looking for something outside of yourself during your year out, why not look for something inside yourself...

THE SEARCH FOR AN INTERIOR GUIDE

1. SUFISM: LOVE OF THE OTHER

According to legend, every soul has a soul mate, a twin spirit somewhere out there. Today’s tendency is to think that this soul mate is the person with whom we should fall in love, but the Sufi poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi thought otherwise: his soul mate was a wandering dervish from Anatolia called Shams di Tabriz. The two were intellectual soul mates who enjoyed discussing and debating existential questions about God, Man and Divine love. Their friendship, in the 13th century transformed Rumi. Yes, it was love, but not the kind of love we expect to find in our other half.

Video. THE POET RUMI

Poetry of the heart. (Duration: 6 minutes)

2. THE SUFI RULES OF LOVE

The story of their fateful meeting, of their spiritual connection and of their tragic farewell is beautifully told in the novel “The Forty Rules of Love” by the Turkish writer Elif Shafak. If you are familiar with Rumi’s poetry, the book is a shortcut to understanding the complexity of his philosophy and his vision of love. Sufism’s vision of Islam – and the way in which it is drastically different to fundamentalist philosophies – is an important theme. Few may know that the meaning of the word “Islam” in the Coran is “peace”. As with other sacred scriptures, the path to inner peace is sought. The study of Rumi and Sufism could be a powerful tool to understanding the depths of one’s soul during a year out.

Video. SPINNING DERVISHES

Mysticism and seduction in a dance of love. (Duration: 1 and a half minutes)

3. THE PERCEPTION OF TRUTH THROUGH SUFISM

The definition of Sufism is “an experience and realization disconnected from reality”. A philosophy more than a religion: this school of Islam concentrates on the inner self, compared to many other schools of thought focusing solely on the external practice of religion.

Video. THE PATH TOWARDS INNER PEACE

The path of life explained beautifully in this video by Tina Petrova, a former student of the Dalai Lama. (Duration: 8 minutes)

4. A CABLE CAR TO PEACE

Where can one take a journey by cable car to one of the most peaceful places on earth? In Hong Kong or more precisely in Ngong Ping. Not surprisingly there is a very long queue at the cable car station for those waiting to go see the Great Buddha. Even if the journey in the glass cable car to get to the destination is very beautiful in itself, one will never forget the breathtaking beauty of your arrival; here you can breathe in the peace and serenity surrounding this giant statue, imbued by the positivism of this figure.

Video. AN EXCLUSIVE JOURNEY

Travel by cable car to visit the Great Buddha. (Duration: 2 minutes).

5. ENLIGHTENMENT

Thousands and thousands of books have been written about the Buddha’s life, as well as documentaries, films and so on. But sometimes the best way to convey the essence of Buddhism is to talk about it in very simple terms, as one would do when speaking to a child.

Video. THE BUDDHA’S LIFE

An animated film for young and old. (Duration: 3 minutes)

Other articles in the enews

1. REDISCOVERING YOUR INNER CREATIVITYGurus, intellectuals and psychologists encourage us to be more creative. Stuck in a daily routine, it is difficult to give free reign to our creativity. Stefan Sagmeister manages a famous design studio in New York but takes a year off every seven years. And he’s not the only one. In this studio, all employees are obliged to take a year off every 7 years to refresh themselves and find new sources of inspiration. (click here for article and videos)

2. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN NATURE“Nature is the best teacher for showing us who we really are”. To be oneself, to leave behind the worries and doubts that everyday life can bring, enjoying the “here and now”, is something that 21st century human beings have great difficulty doing. Here are 5 destinations that will set your heart free, where you can enjoy nature during your year off. (clicca per articolo e video)

3. REDISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUALITYAccording to legend, every soul has a soul mate, a twin spirit somewhere out there. Today’s tendency is to think that this soul mate is the person with whom we should fall in love, but the Sufi poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi thought otherwise: his soul mate was a wandering dervish from Anatolia. (click here for article and videos)

4. LEARN TO COOK“There’s nothing better than a well-cooked omelette” or so the French proverb goes. As well as nourishing your soul, here we look at different suggestions for travelling the world with the objective of learning new cooking techniques and skills in order to take better care of our bodies. (click here for article and videos)